PARENTS of children at Romiley and Springwood primary schools are hoping for a final decision on the future of pupils at both sites.

Following an LEA decision to reduce surplus places, the council suggested a number of controversial solutions to meet the targets - including closing one of the schools and merging pupils together - which have angered parents and left a village divided.

Another option discussed involved a complete move to and redevelopment of the Springwood site, should a £5m capital funding bid fail in July.

However, parents now hope a meeting on Monday to discuss the future of their children's education can finally resolve the issue.

The council's scrutiny committee will discuss whether to overturn its decision made in January to merge the two schools into one, but operate it across both current sites - Romiley in Sandy Lane and Springwood in Compstall Road.

Parents of children at Springwood School - which will close this summer - would favour this option as it would mean the site remaining open, but Romiley Primary School parents are in opposition and argue the school and its pupils should remain in the village centre.

But the council's scrutiny committee accepted a decision by Romiley Primary School governing body last month to leave the primary children on the Romiley site come what may.

Andrew Watson, Springwood governor, said: "At the moment all the parents of Springwood would like Romiley to get targeted funding but, if we don't get it the kids should be housed in adequate accommodation. Parents down here would be upset and angry if our children were forced into cramped conditions at Romiley."

Karen Allcock, for the Romiley Parents' Action group, said she hoped that next Monday's meeting would reverse any plan to relocate to Springwood if July's funding bid failed.

She added: "We also hope that they will change the plan to operate from a split site."